What happened to Kevin Gausman? Blue Jays ace pulled after just 4 innings in first wild-card game vs. Twins

In the first game of the wild-card series against the Minnesota Twins, the Toronto Blue Jays started ace Kevin Gausman. The stakes were high with a tense atmosphere at Target Field. Unfortunately for Toronto, Gausman's night ended much earlier than anticipated.

Gausman's Tuesday night was challenging from the get-go. The right-hander threw a mere four innings, allowing three earned runs on three hits. He struck out five but walked three. This was part of a 73-pitch outing that saw 43 of those pitches go for strikes.

The performance of the Twins' Royce Lewis also did not help. Lewis made a triumphant return from a hamstring injury. He homered twice off Gausman, including a two-run shot in the first inning and a solo home run in the third.

Why was Kevin Gausman pulled from the Blue Jays vs. Twins wild-card game?

Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman struggled from the beginning. He needed 27 pitches to just get through the first inning, during which he struggled with control.

Gausman also had issues with his PitchCom device. This led to a tense exchange with home-plate umpire Andy Fletcher as Gausman retreated to the dugout.

As the innings wore on, Toronto's bullpen started warming up. Eventually, Erik Swanson replaced Gausman in the fifth inning, with the Blue Jays already losing by three runs.

Adding to the woes for Toronto was a lack of offensive support for their top starter. While Gausman struggled, the Blue Jays' bats were stymied by Twins starter Pablo Lopez.

Last year, Gausman had started the final playoff game for the Blue Jays. The Mariners mounted a miraculous comeback after he left the game with a sizable lead.

As the series shifts to Game 2, questions loom large for the Blue Jays. They must figure out if Gausman's track record against the Twins is a recurring problem, or simply a one-off issue.